"I'm sorry Mr. Valentine, I'm sorry Mrs. Valentine and I'm sorry Eric Valentine," said 18-year-old Tristan Lacey. "I've been in jail for over 2 months and not a day went by where I didn't think about what could've happened if I didn't drive."

Related Content

The morning after Christmas, Lacey made a decision that cost him his freedom and even worse, his friend, Mark Valentine, his life.

Tristan, Mark and Mark's brother Eric had been drinking when they all decided to hop in a car.

Lacey was behind the wheel with a suspended license Beckett Ridge Boulevard in West Chester.

Speeds reached 110 miles an hour before he crashed.

His blood alcohol level was .106.

"Mark wasn't just a best friend to me, he was a brother. At night memories of Mark and I race through my head. When I finally fall asleep, I'm haunted with nightmares from that night. Getting in the car that night was the biggest regret of my life," Lacey said. "I should've thought about the choices I was making. I should've thought about driving and most importantly, I should've thought about drinking."

"The day after Christmas, his dangerous actions killed Mark. Tristan is still alive. He'll have a chance to reconstruct his life that Mark will never have," said Ashley Valentine, Marks father. "We are in an emotional prison with no way out."

Last month, Lacey pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide. On Wednesday, Mark's family asked Judge Craig Hedric to impose the maximum sentence of 8 years.

"Mark brought love and great joy to our family. Our lives are now filled with grief and unspeakable sadness," said Debbie Steel, Mark's mother.

Lacey's mother said she also feels the heartache.

"Even with the sadness and pain in our hearts right now, we know that there is no greater pain and sadness at the passing of your child," Michele Isik said.

Isik also described the pain she felt watching her son the day Mark was killed.

"I will never forget his cry. The anguish upon hearing the confirmation of marks death. He kept saying to me, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, as he hugged the shirt he was wearing when he was holding Mark before help came," Isik said.

After Hedric sentenced Lacey to six years in prison and imposed a lifetime driving suspension, Mark's father said, "We believe justice was served and forgiveness will come in time."

"I just ask for continued prayers for our family as we learn how to walk this journey for the rest of our lives," Steel said.

Both families hope this tragedy turns into a lesson.

"The very early morning tragedy that brought us here today will serve as a lesson for everyone, not just teenagers, about the dangers of drinking of driving," Isik said.

Hedric also weighed in on that.

"Hopefully the word gets out that this reckless, dumb behavior can't be tolerated, shouldn't be tolerated, shouldn't be condoned and hopefully these young people hear about this, see the video of this, will understand how precious life is," Hedric said.

The video he referred to hasn't been released yet.He said it's cell phone video that was recorded right before the crash by one of the teens. In it, he said Eric Valentine is heard narrating Lacey's speeds as he drove faster and faster.